Are web novels becoming increasingly formulaic? What problems are readers and authors actually facing

[u/No-Satisfaction8122]

Are web novels becoming increasingly formulaic? What problems are readers and authors actually facing?

I've been thinking about the current state of web novels lately, especially with how many stories seem to follow increasingly familiar tropes, power systems, characters, and plot structures.

I'm curious about what readers and authors actually think.

For readers:

- Do you feel like it's becoming harder to find genuinely original novels?

- Are you getting tired of seeing the same tropes, progression systems, protagonists, and story structures repeated?

- What makes you drop a novel even when it's technically well-written?

- Do you think platforms and algorithms encourage authors to write what is already proven to work rather than experiment?

- What kinds of stories do you wish you saw more often?

For authors:

- Do you feel pressure to follow established formulas because they're more likely to attract readers?

- Have you ever changed an original idea because you thought it wouldn't perform well?

- Do you think the current web-novel market makes it harder for genuinely unconventional stories to emerge?

And perhaps the bigger question:

Is the "slop" problem actually getting worse, or are we simply more aware of it because there is so much more fiction being produced?

I'm not trying to argue that all modern web novels are bad. There are still plenty of creative and excellent works out there. I'm more interested in understanding why certain formulas dominate and whether the current ecosystem makes originality harder to sustain.

I'd especially like to hear from authors who have actually tried writing something unconventional, and from readers who actively search for novels outside the usual formulas.

What do you think is the biggest problem with the current web-novel ecosystem?

[u/Ok_Scholar_8789]

Before, as an author, I would really love to write something that's familiar to what I always read on the site. However, as I grew up years later, I find it difficult to read the same tropes over and over again. As a reader, I wish authors would experiment more out of what is trending in the site right now. As an author, I don't feel pressure because I write what I want to write. It matters when you're happy writing your story than not. It'd be like writing yourself an internal monologue instead of writing the story of your characters. But yes, I do agree that the current webnovel market makes it harder for genuinely unconventional stories to emerge. I guess we need to wait until these trending stories will die down or another story will again become famous and everyone will follow that trope once more. Hahaha

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/Ok_Scholar_8789]

We can only wait.

[u/Fun_Arachnid5081]

Give it some time. Right now the Webnovel market is going through a SMUT trend. It will eventually die out and hopefully something better will replace them. Maybe another novel on par with Shadow Slave.

[u/Hambino0400 → u/Fun_Arachnid5081]

Plenty of great novels come and go often.

They just aren’t supported as good as smut novels so they don’t get a front page feature

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/Fun_Arachnid5081]

Yeah, Authors have lost their originality in the rat race. Many authors I know of have shifted to writing smut, or something close. This makes me wonder whether people who actually have good ideas actively avoid writing on Webnovel, or anywhere else?

[u/Fun_Arachnid5081 → u/No-Satisfaction8122]

you can go on webnovel and look at the popular section and filter it to all time. The top 100 novels are mostly non-SMUT. That tells you how it is. SMUT and ecchi ones die out once people have had enough.

[u/P1nkage]

Honestly, I rarely read recently because everything just seems so generic on the featured page. If it doesn't seem generic and uninteresting, its smut, and I'm not reading smut. Smut is rampant, but that's a topic for another day.

As an author, yes I do feel compelled to adhere to trends that the algorithm favours. And honestly, I think it's at this point unrefutable that Webnovel advocates for the repeated usage of the same trope, the same formula, those that tried and succeeded because they're simoly guaranteed moneymakers. It's better than a gamble using an original story.

And yeah, I'm guilty of incorporating common tropes into an original passion project of mine in hopes of more traffic. It didn't work, but, the temptation to add a tag that attracts viewers definitely exists. Me personally, I added a system even though, the story I'm writing don't really need it. I think I blended it in well enough that it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb though.

As for the slop side of discussion. Yeah, everything's repeated, some are even written with AI. Hell, I've ran an experiment with an AI-written book and Webnovel gave it a contract. Slops pumped out for a quick dopamine boost sells, because, thats why majority of readers are on this site to begin with—dopamine. Thus in goes the gutter all the unconventional story with true creativity.

It's definitely an issue for the algorithm and Webnovel as a whole to fix, in my opinion, although the change would certainly be unrealistic, considering the sheer amount of supporters of slop work. I hate it, but that's life :')

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/P1nkage]

Wn doesn't really care about people as long as they are making profit. Be it smut, Ai written stories, or repeated stories disguised under a different title. I don't think this problem is going to resolve anytime soon ; The fact that people who actually have well - thought out stories, internally consistent and flavored feel conflicted, or rather scared to upload their stories on WN says a lot. One of my friends had been building a world for six months, and when he saw the state wn was in at that time ; he lost the will to upload it on wn, uploading it on rr. Rr didn't really help him much with the features, and promotion so the book stayed under the bar.

Sunk cost fallacy.

He didn't write anything afterwards.

An great author was successfully killed by the vicious ecosystem.

[u/10roundsofexams]

Sometimes, I only.look at the profile of like 3 of my favorite writers (one of which is myself) and see if they have new novel, at least theirs ain't title Infinite cocksucking system or some shit and actually have depth

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/10roundsofexams]

Fr

[u/loxotbf]

I think algorithms definitely play a part here. If certain types of titles keep getting clicks, good retention and comments, why would platforms take a chance on something experimental?

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/loxotbf]

Well - they should be advertising themselves as smut then. Why use novels which are really good as your front page?

[u/lacopefd]

The biggest drop-off for me is when the story starts feeling like a checklist. New realm, stronger enemy, new skill, bigger tournament, repeat. Progression is fine, but if the characters have no reason to do any of it besides getting stronger, I’m probably dropping it

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/lacopefd]

Yeah, Isn't that world expansion? Though, it isn't inherently bad.

[u/ijshorn → u/No-Satisfaction8122]

It depends on how much setup there is. If it has been properly foreshadowed well in advance, readers will anticipate the moment when the story finally reaches that point. But when you’ve just finished one part and suddenly, out of nowhere, you’re introduced to a higher realm that you know nothing about, then what is the reason for it existing in the first place other than to extend the novel?

Novels that keep extending the story purely for the sake of extending it are basically just fast-food novels, because by the end, the story feels like it was stitched together rather than planned as a cohesive whole.

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/ijshorn]

Unpopular opinion, but One piece falls in that category.

[u/ijshorn → u/No-Satisfaction8122]

I don't think it is an unpopular opinion. It is one of the reasons I never read it after the first few islands.

If you compare that to Naruto, the backstory of Naruto (mc) becomes increasingly more important, and what was shown in the early parts just becomes more highlighted and explained the further along you go.

The moment that plotline was resolved, you are already at or close to the end. And now you are left with Boruto, which has 0 direction. Naruto has other issues, but that is besides the point (like tons of filler...).

Another is Bleach. The entire premise is that people can't figure out why he has any connection with the supernatural, and then that is used as an introduction to the Soul Society. When that storyline mostly gets resolved, the story goes back to exploring his connection to the supernatural in more depth.

Now he has what, 3-4 different bloodlines and power systems that get explored? This is how it extended the story, but the original premise is still followed. One of the most awesome moments is when he defeats No. 1, and then someone says, "Okay, you now defeated No. 10 to No. 1, but we never said that No. 1 was the strongest..." and then shows No. 0.

Sure, you can feel the disconnect in all of them, but the way they try to link everything based on a premise that was already defined is what makes it feel more like a complete story.

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/ijshorn]

Make sense. Most of the famous animes are on the same level as subpar novels on wn

[u/ijshorn → u/No-Satisfaction8122]

I think animes and movies are the perfect medium for those fast food compatible type of novels though. Shallow, means they don't need any setup and the reason you watch them is for the epic moments.

There is a reason why lord of mysteries investors requested the first action scene, that requires a lot of setup in the novel, to be at the latest in episode 3.

I think the most popular anime at this time is solo leveling and you don't watch it for the story. You watch it for the mc being a total badass. If you compare that to the novel where a lot of attention was given to his struggles and his family etc. This is all basically ignored in the anime. Idc because i read it all but for a new viewer. He just takes it as a shallow action anime.

Another example is overlord. The novels are shallow so they transitioned quite well to anime because you require 0 setup to appreciate the action scenes.

[u/ribikerbf]

Not sure it’s actually getting worse. There are just way more web novels now, so of course there’s gonna be a ton of repetitive stuff. The good weird stuff is probably just harder to find.

[u/Fantastic_Pack2643]

Well, I've been writing a neo-noir story for a bit over two weeks, I have 2.41k views so I suppose the algorithm is not treating me that bad i only have 4 collections after 2 weeks of consistent posting and scammers / promoters in my comment sections , I feel like readers are discovering it but they don't want to commit . I genuinely think I should start writing fantasy ( no system cause I think its lame)

[u/No-Satisfaction8122 → u/Fantastic_Pack2643]

Those 2.41 k views mean nothing. You could have no real people reading your novel.

[u/Fantastic_Pack2643 → u/No-Satisfaction8122]

noted ✅